Gyrovertical



Oct. 29, 19354y F. c. NARvEsEN Er AL 2,018,735

GYROVEBTICAL Filed March 5,` 1934 2v sheets-sheet 2 INVEN TORS MoRTlm-:R' F ATES FREDERICK C NARVESEN `Patented* Oct. 29, l1935 Gmovnn'rrc'al.

Frederick C. Narvesen, East Rockaway, and Mortimer F. Bates, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignors to Sperry Gyroscope Company, Inc., Brooklyn.' N. Y., a corporation o! New York v Application March 5, 1934., Serial No. '114,l24

8 Claims.

This invention relates to gyroscopic artiiicial horizons or gyro verticals especially adapted for aircraft and more especially to means for centralizing or 'caging the same at will. While such instruments remain vertical during normal flight,

unusual maneuvers may cause the same to strike stops and damage the same. Therefore it is desirable to lock or cage the same if unusual maneuvers, such as looping the loop and barrel rolling, are contemplated. It is also found desirable to lock the same during shipping. 'I'he problem of providing a satisfactory cage is complicated by the fact that such gyroscopes are usually enclosed in an air-tight casing from which the air is withdrawn.

Referring'- to the drawings, showing several forms our invention may assume:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an articial horizon constructed according to our invention, the outer case being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation of a portion of the caging device.

Fig. 3 is a similar view of a modied form of caging device.-

Fig. 4 shows a modied operating handle which is also adapted to shutting of! the air supply to the gyro.

Fig. 5 is a detailed sectional view thereof.

Fig. 6 is an elevation of a modified form of caging device, the outer case being in section.

Fig. 'l is^a face view of the same upon a reduced scale.

Fig. 8 is a detail showing another modied method of operating the centralizing means of Fig. 1.

The gym-vertical or artificial horizon is shown as enclosed within an outer air-tight casing I having a. forward window 2 through which the horizon bar 3 is visible. The gyroscope is mounted within said ycasing by means of a gimbal ring 4 pivoted on the fore and aft axis 5-6'within said casing. 2 The rotor bearing frame or casing lfof the gyroscope is shown as pivoted within the gimbal on transverse axis 8 9. The gyro rotor y `within the ca'sing may be spun by any suitable g means, vsuch as an, air jet. As shown, air is con- .,tinuously exhausted from the casing I through ,pipe Illlby means of a suitable air pump (not shown) and air enters thev gyroscope through apertures II in the bearing 6' supporting the trunnion 6, and thence through the hollow trunnionA 6 through passage I2 in the gimbal and thence through hollow trunnion 3 to within the gyro case, where a jet (or iets.) 50 is provided to spin the rotor, as is wen understooa'm niel art.

For centralizing the vgyroscope we` have shown a pair of rings I3, I4 rotatably mounted within the casing I and havinggear teeth I5 and I5' on 5 the inner edges thereof. Said teeth mesh with the gear I6 secured to a shaft I'I journalled in the side of said casing and having a pinion I8. on the outer endthereof. Said pinion is shown as meshing with the'rack teeth I 3 formed in a push 10- rod 20 slidably mounted'in spaced bearings 2l and 22 in said casing. Said rod is shown as prol vided with'an operating knob 23. Said rings I3 and I4 are provided with outwardly projecting flngers 24 and 25 at one side. f Said fingers are 15 adapted to engage, when in the full line position in Fig. 2, a pin 26 projecting from the gyro casing 1 through an annular slot 2'I (Fig. 6) in the gimbal ring 4. Said pin extends from a. point at one side of the axis 8-3 so that when the same is en- 20 =gaged it locks the gyroscope about both axes 4-5 and 3 3 and brings it to a central position. 'Ihe `same pinmay be used as the pin Anormally em` e ployed to move the horizon bar 3 up and down,

the pin 26 passing through a slot 44 in the long 25 lever 45 pivoted on the gimbal ring- 4 at 46. To supplement the action of the fingers 24 and 25, pins 26 and 23 may also be secured to the'rings I3 and I4, respectively, which engage the top and bottom, respectively, of the gimbal 'ring 4.. 30 If desired, the engaging surfaces of said 'fingers 24 and 25 may be inclined as shown at 24 and 25' in Fig. 3, so as -toassist in the centralizing action.

Figs. 4 and 5 show how the setting knob of 35 Fig. 1 may be made use of to also turn on and oft the air supply for the gyroscopes. ures the push rod 20' is provided with a cross pin `3|) which engagesslongitudinally extendingr slots or bifurcations 3I, 32 in the inner end of sleeve 40 33 extending from valve 31. i be provided with a keyway 34 with which a set screw 35 engages so as to prevent the rod 2li' from being turned excep when it is pushed `into its. in-

nermost position, a which time the gyro is caged. 45

In order to permit the rod 20' being turned at that time the key-way 34 merges into'an annular slot 36 in said rod. Therefore, by turning. the rod at that time the sleeve 33 is turned. thus turning the valvey 31 `to shut ofi. the outlet from the cas- 50 ing through passageway 36, which communicates gli the air pump. By some means thef` acc ental shutting of! of the air supply may be pre.-

vented, since it can only be shut 0R after the gyro is caged. l

In these ilg- Rod '20' may also portion'of the casingI' and has secured theretoa sheet metal sleeve 42, to the inner end of which issecured the ring I3. Therefore, by rotating the ring 40 the ring I3 is also rotated, and by providing a gear I6such as gear I6 in Fig. 1 be'- tween rings I4 and I3', the latter will be rotated in the opposite direction, so as to act as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, upon pin 26 extending from the gyro casing. Said ring '40 may be provided with an index 52 showing whether the gyroscope is 'on or ofi', 'that is, locked. vIn both cases, said pin 26 is shown as bent inwardly at its outer end to a point beyond the axis 8 9 to increase the surface engaged by the: caging fingers, and so as to act as a positive lock by preventing rotation of the gyroscope about rod 26 as ya center.

Still another method of actuating' the caging device is shown in Fig. 8. This method is very similarto that shown in Fig. 1, except that'the pinion I8 on the shaft of the gear I6' is rotated im this instance by means of a long lever 20' pivoted at 5I on the case` and extending at its forward end through a slot in the panel 4 I. Said lever is shown as having .a segmental annular gearv I9 secured thereto, which meshes with the Y pinion I8 so-as to revolve the same when the represent the best embodiment thereof, but we* desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown'is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by.other means. Also, while it is de'signed to use the various features and elements in the combination and relations described, some of these may be altered and others omitted without interfering with the more general results outlined, and the invention extends to such use. j

. Having described our inventiomwhat we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A caging device for gyro-vetic'als comprising the combination with a gyro rotor bearing casing supported for freedom about two horizontal axes, of a pin projecting therefrom from :a

'point to one sideof both of said axes, a pairf ing the same, fa gyroscope ,universally pivoted` thereon on two normally horizontal axes, a pair -of`rin3s rotatab1y /mounted within said casing from opposite sides, .and means `for oppositely' means operable from without `said casing for opposltely rotating said rings, and means on said rings foriengaging said gyroscope to centralize the same about both axes.,

3. In a gyro-vertical, an'outer casing enclosing 5 the same, a gyroscope universally pivoted thereon on-two normally horizontal axes, a pair of rings rotatably mounted within said casing, a forward part extending beyond and rotatably mounted within said casing, an operating con- 10 nection between both of said rings and said part tooppositely rotate the rings upon movement of said part, and means on said rings for engaging said gyroscope at a point spaced from both of` tation offt e bearing casing.

2 5; A gyra-vertical as claimed in claim 2 in which the engaging means comprises a pair of loppositely projecting arms having oppositely inclined engaging surfaces.

6. In a gyroscopic instrument for aircraft, a rotor, a means fo'rspinning the same, a rotor bearing casing supported for freedom about at least two axes other than the rotor spin axis, an outer casing enclosing said gyroscope, a cage for centralizing said rotor bearing casing about both of said two axes with respect to the outercasing, and a common means operable from without said` casing for operating said cage and shutting off said spinning means.

7. In a gyroscopic instrument for aircraft, a rotor, a means for spinning the same, a rotor bearing casing supported for freedom about `at least two axes other than.'the rotor spin axis, an outer casing enclosing said gyroscope, means for shutting off said spinning means, means for cag- 40 ing said bearing casing about both of said two axes with respect to the outer casing and means associated with said two last named means for preventing the operation of said shut off means for the spinning means unless the caging means is ilrst operated.

8. In an .air-spun gyroscopic instrument for aircraft, a rotor, means for supplying air under pressure thereto for spinning the same, a rotor bearing casing supported for freedom about at least two axes other than the rotor spin axis, an outer casing enclosing said gyroscope, a cage for centralizing said rotor bearing casing about both of said two axes with respect to the outer casing,

a shut off valve for-the air supply, and a common means operable from without said casing for caging said rotor bearing casing and operating said shut off valve. 1

- MOR'IIMER F. BATES. J,

FREDERICK C. NARVESEN. v 

